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Form Field Types

The Form Field Types reference provides a detailed overview of the various field types available when building a custom digital form. Its primary purpose is to help administrators understand the function and configuration options for each individual field, enabling them to create effective and user-friendly forms. This article is intended for OperationsCommander (OPSCOM) administrators responsible for designing and deploying digital forms.

Setup and Configuration

This feature involves utilizing the available building blocks within the form creation tool.

Admin Side: No special system configuration is required to use these form fields. For a complete guide on building a form from scratch, please refer to the Creating a New Form article.

Using this Feature

Administrators can utilize the following field types when designing their custom forms. Each field type includes specific configuration options.

Checkbox Group

Used to allow a user to select one or more options from a list.

  • Enable Other: Allows the user to input a custom value not present in the options list.

  • Options: The list of choices for the user. Options can be pre-selected for the user by enabling the checkbox next to the desired item.

Date Field

Used to get a date from the user, who will be presented with a calendar date picker.

  • Type: The type of date field.

  • Min / Max: The minimum and maximum allowed dates that can be selected.

  • Step: The date increment steps.

Header

Used to display a header or subheader on the form. This is a display-only field.

  • Label: The header text that will be displayed.

  • Type: The header size (e.g., H1, H2).

Number

Used to accept numerical digits only.

  • Type: The type of number field.

  • Min / Max: The minimum and maximum allowed numerical values.

  • Step: The amount the value increments or decrements when using the arrow controls.

Paragraph

Used to display a block of text on the form, such as for instructions. This is a display-only field.

  • Content: The paragraph text to be displayed.

Radio Group

Used to allow a user to select only one option from a list.

  • Options: The list of choices for the user. One option can be pre-selected by enabling the corresponding radio button.

Select Menu

Presents a drop-down list of options. This is ideal for questions with many choices to save screen space.

  • Allow Multiple Selections: Enable this to allow the user to select more than one option (making it function like a Checkbox Group).

  • Options: The list of choices for the user.

Text Field

Used to allow a user to input a single line of text.

  • Type: Specifies the kind of input required (e.g., Text Field, Password, Email, Tel).

  • Max Length: The maximum number of characters allowed.

Text Area

Similar to a Text Field, but provides a larger, multi-line area for text input.

  • Max Length: The maximum number of characters allowed.

  • Rows: The initial height of the text area in rows/lines.

Keep your end-users in mind when designing forms. Leveraging field limitations (like Max Length or Min / Max dates) proactively prevents data entry errors and saves administrative time later during the review process.

Best Practices and Considerations

  • Choose the right selection tool for the job. Use a Radio Group for single-choice questions with few options. Use a Checkbox Group for multiple-choice questions. Use a Select Menu when you have many options to present in order to save valuable screen space.

  • Ensure data integrity by selecting the appropriate type. When using a Text Field, always select the appropriate Type (e.g., Email, Tel). This helps validate the input and provides a much better user experience by triggering a specialized keyboard on mobile devices.

  • Structure your form clearly. Use Header and Paragraph fields to structure your form. Breaking up long forms with clear headings and instructional paragraphs improves readability and submission accuracy.

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